HEAT DROPS SEVENTH STRAIGHT

Published on March 17, 2002 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Harrisburg Heat News Release


Harrisburg ties single-season loss record

Harrisburg, PA - The Harrisburg Heat's offense perked up in the second half and the team fought back from a 15-6 deficit, but the Cleveland Crunch defeated the Heat for the second time in as many days, this time by the score of 17-12 in front of 3,969 fans at the CSU Convocation Center on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, Harrisburg's seventh straight, the Heat falls to 8-28 on the season. The Heat has now tied its single-season franchise record for losses, first set in 1999-00, when the team finished 16-28.

Cleveland took an early 2-0 lead when Steve Butcher beat Petras from the right wing for a 2pg at 1:57 of the first, accounting for all of the scoring in the opening stanza.

Things broke wide open in the second quarter, however. Nick Corneli drove a 3pg low down the slot at 5:04 to put the Heat up 3-2, but Harrisburg's lead was short-lived, as Lee Edgerton (6:47), Hector Marinaro (7:35), and Chad James (7:51) all scored 2pgs in the ensuing three minutes to put the Crunch up 8-3. Matt Tanzini answered for Harrisburg with a deuce at 8:39 to make it 8-5 before Steve Butcher's 3pg at 11:41 gave Cleveland an 11-5 edge. Zoran Karic completed the first-half scoring with a shootout goal at 13:53 following a Too Many Men on the Field call against the Crunch; Cleveland led 11-6 at the half.

The Crunch lead became 15-6 thanks to a pair of 2pgs early in the third, by Justin Evans at 3:24 and Nevio Pizzolitto at 6:54. Harrisburg then began to make a game of it with three straight 2pgs: Allen Eller (8:35), Chris Morman (10:08), and Eller again (12:35) found the net for the Heat, and the Crunch lead had shrunk to 15-12 after three quarters.

Butcher restored the Crunch momentum at 6:02 of the fourth when he picked a Heat pass and beat Petras on a breakaway for a 17-12 lead. Matt Tanzini scored a 2pg with just 53 seconds left on the clock to bring the Heat within three points, but Cleveland held on as time wound down for the 17-14 victory.

NOTES: Allen Eller has now scored six goals in his first six games with the Heat...Zoran Karic scored three points (1pg, two assists) in his first game in Cleveland since leaving the Crunch after the '99-00 season...Harrisburg returns home to face the first-place Milwaukee Wave this Friday, March 22. Kickoff at the Farm Show Arena is 7:35 p.m.

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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 17, 2002


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